Kim and the Lionheart
by Rye-bread
Summary: inspired by the artwork of Richard Sirois. the story of the unknown member of Team Possible who almost won Kim's heart. a Coeur de Lion story.
1. Chapter 1

if you've seen his art at DeviantArt, and Richard's page of Fanatism, and his collaborations with CaptainKodak1, then you know that Richard Sirois a

if you've seen his art at DeviantArt, and Richard's page of Fanatism, and his collaborations with CaptainKodak1, then you know that Richard Sirois a.k.a. Richard Lionheart is the consumate Kim Possible-Ron Stoppable artist;(but Levelord, CarbonF, Goofmore, and others, all at DeviantArt, come close).

Richard Lionheart, as indicated, is an art exchange student at Middleton High. He and his sister form the crime-fighting Team Heart, and are members of Team Possible. He also hangs out with Kim and Ron off duty time--and he and Kim seem to share some tender feelings at odd moments. They go on to form the "Unkillables" and wield heavy duty armament.

But what if Richard Lionheart were a man of peace, a rescuer, the founder of a modern day worldwide Underground Railroad?

This is the story that might have been, that in some alternate time line could yet be; the story of Richard Leo Harte, the man who found inspiration in the example of the fictional Scarlet Pimpernel and the real-life Harriet Tubman, the man who would become the Coeur de Lion; an artist, a poet, a knight in shining armor; Ron Stoppable's best friend, closer than a brother; Kim's partner--and more; the man who would come within a breath, a whisper, a candle flicker of usurping Ron's place in Kim's heart, and then would walk away from it all.

K.P. and the Lionheart: the man who almost won Kim Possible's heart

James Timothy Possible was just finishing his doctoral thesis when he met her. He was gawky, bashful, and absent-minded; he routinely deleted term papers--his own and others'--while using the word processor. She was a tall serene beauty with russet hair and large limpid eyes the color of a windswept sky. The first time she winked at him, his heart flew around his chest like a centrifuge, and made a beeline for the stars. He fell for her like a ton of bricks. She was in her second year of pre-med, and had years to go before she would have a degree. Logic dictated that they should wait to marry until they both had careers, but since when does logic make your heart spin in your chest?

Dr. Stoppable had finished her residency and her fellowship. She had passed her boards and had been certified. She joined the neurosurgical practice at the Tri-city Medical Center in Middleton. Middleton was growing, but had the small-town-feel; they felt lucky to settle there. Life was good, and it was time to start the family she and her husband had been talking about. Rachel Stoppable was also expecting, and as a father-to-be, Abe couldn't have been prouder. Did the two young couples know each other, or have an inkling how the fates of the offspring would intertwine? Another storyteller must address that matter.

In Kenjijen, Japan, a small town south of Tokyo, two couples did know each other. Akiro Kansumi and his wife Rina were expecting. Their good friends Leo Benedict and Mariah Bess Harte were also expecting--twins. It was a fortuitous time, and the friends felt blessed. Mariah Bess gave birth first, Daphne Mei and Richard Leo, respectively--fraternal twins, not identical. A daughter was born to Rina Kansumi, whom they named Yoriko. In Middleton Ronald Adrian Stoppable was born, and lastly, with most remarkable red hair and flashing emerald eyes. little Kimberly Ann Possible.

How all their lives intertwined, and their fabled exploits, is the subject of this tale.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 is coming into view. I must belatedly acknowledge Captainkodak1 for Yoriko's family name in chpt.1. I derived the name from his fanfic "The Lotus." I have searched the K.P. canon and other fanfics for an indication; if anyone knows different, tell me. Those of you familiar with Japanese culture, and personal andplace names, if I ever get something really off base, tell me: esp. concerning the titles of respect, like -san, -chan, and -sama. Where did I learn what I know (orf don't know); where else: watching "The Shogun", "Yugi-oh", and, of course, "Kim Possible".

By the way; I'm brand new to fanfiction; what are these "flames" other authors refer to?

Shoko Asahara, the AUM, and the nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway passengers are real; if you think Al Qaida is scary, check out the AUM at and the Lionheart

Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, Drs. Mom & Dad Possible, the tweebs Jim and Tim, copywrite Disney

Richard and Daphne Harte inspired by the artwork of Richard Sirois, a.k.a. Richard Lionheart

chapter two:

What did the Drs. Possible do vocationally? of course: he was a rocket engineer, and she was a neurosurgeon. What did the Stoppables do? Abraham was an electrical engineer--and a cantor; (they attended an orthodox synagogue;) Rachel was a homemaker--and a gardener.

And what were a couple expatriate Americans like Leo and Mariah Bess Harte doing in Kenjijen? why, being missionaries, of course. Akiro Kansumi was an elder in the little Christian congregation; Leo and Mariah Bess both were there to teach English, and to assist them in whatever way they could. Akiro was also a mechanic; Rina a housekeeper, and both were gardeners.

Being as he was in a country of predominent Shinto and Bhuddist religious persuasion, Leo decided from the outset he would behave as a guest; he lived by the precepts of St. Francis of Asissi: preach the Gospel (with your life); when necessary use words; and William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army: men cannot hear the Word when their stomachs rumble with hunger. He threw himself into works of mercy and counselled Akiro's church to do likewise; he was humbled when they redoubled their already earnest efforts. He reflected: how meager his efforts and self-indulgent he felt when he compared himself and typical American believers to these good folk.

He was impressed by many aspects of Japanese society: the close-knit family ties, the respect for elders, the emphasis on courtesy and proper behavior when in public (he never lost his whimsey of how fearful a breach of etiquette blowing one's nose in public was considered to be) to the point he even enrolled his children in the public school; he was not concerned that their faith would be compromised (it seemed that materialism, modern existentialist despair, a disregard for marriage and family, and mania for entertainment were corroding religious faith far more thoroughly).

On March 20, 1995 Mariah Bess Harte's and Rina Kansumi's lives intersected with destiny. The Aum cult, headed by the enigmatic Shoko Asahara, was responsible for the release of deadly sarin nerve gas in a Tokyo subway. 12 people were killed, and 5000 were injured. The women rushed home to the bosom of their families, grateful to God to be spared, and grieved for those who were not. But in a few months Mariah Bess experienced the onset of symptoms, complications, the doctors said, arising from the exposure to the nerve gas; bouts of pneumonia, congestive heart failure, loss of motor function, periods of unconscousness. She was seen by specialists, both in Tokyo and America. She was even referred to the Tri-city Medical Center, and was examined by Dr. Possible. She read the letters of referral and studied the test results from other medical facilities. she ordered her own extensive battery of tests; she carefully reviewed the results. It was a forlorn hope at best. The entire nervous system was deteriorating; it was leading to multiple organ failure. It was known as the cascade effect; like a chain reaction, the loss of one organ function would lead to another, and another, each more severe.

This was the most solemn duty of any conscientious medical professional. The limpid blue eyes glistened with unshed tears; with great sadness, Mariah Bess Harte was told by Dr. Possible that there was nothing that she could do.

They sat and talked a moment as mothers will do. "I have a daughter: Kimmie"; she showed her a wallet-sized portrait. And Mariah Bess beheld the striking red hair, radiant as the sunrise, arranged in adorable twin ponytails. "I have a daughter her age: Daphne"; and Dr. Possible's heart was wrung; "Actually I have twins: Daphne and Richard;" and her heart was wrung anew as she thought of her own, Jim and Tim.

Mrs. Harte proudly showed the pictures of _her_ children: Daphne wore her bright dandilion-colored hair pulled in a tight bun, and her intense blue eyes commanded proper and quiet behavior; her glasses were perched on the end of her nose; her shirt was buttoned to the collar, and her mouth was a thin little line; she looked like a little librarian; "She chose that look herself; she's so serious, you would hardly know there's a dry sense of humor behind that face." Richard also wore glasses, but here was the slender face of a poet, an artist; brown hair, and deep sensitive brown eyes, like his mother--and an apparently untameable cowlick on the back of his head; "He's a dreamer, an idealist; she's a rock hard realist; yet they're as thick as thieves; they're as close as two sides of the same coin."

Dr. Possible was grateful that Mrs. Harte was the last patient of the day. On the drive home tears, trickled down her cheeks and she sniffled. The words ran through her mind: "A daughter Kimmie's age--oh, those poor children." Ronny Stoppable was visiting. Kim was fuming, as usual: "Mom, they got into my _room_, into my _stuff! _those--those _tweebs!" _Ron was vainly trying to placate her: "K.P., it's no big!" Without a second's hesitation she dropped to her knees and smothered her daughter in an embrace. Her self-imposed discipline crumbled and she began to weep.

"Mom?" "Mrs.Dr.P.?" Kim and Ron were thoroughly confused.

"Mama, Mama's home!" the twins chimed happily; they were too wound up to notice her face etched with grief; her husband did notice and concern filled his face and voice.

"Dear, is everything okay?" She leaned her head on his shoulder; "A patient I saw today--oh Jim, it's so sad." His arms settled around her, and sympathy filled his heart; it must indeed extraordinarily sad, to touch his wife so deeply.

We know the old adage; our every deed is like a stone dropped into a pond; the ripples spread, and we do not know whose lives they will eventually touch. So it was, that for the first time, but not the last, that the Possible family would feel the unseen but powerful influence of the children of Mariah Bess Harte.


	3. Chapter 3: Train Up A Child

My thanks to HorizonFilm and Delta Operator for the encouraging remarks

My thanks to HorizonFilm and Delta Operator for the encouraging remarks.

Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, James Timothy Possible, Dr. Mom Possible, Jim & Tim the tweebs, Yoriko, Middleton belong to Disney.

The Kansumi name is courtesy of CaptainKodak1.

Richard Leo & Daphne Mei Harte inspired by the artwork of Richard Sirois, his depiction of himself and his sister Helen.

The spelling of their last name derived from the novelist Bret Harte.

Leo Benjamin & Mariah Bess Harte, Akiro & Rina, and Kenjijen are mine.

The first names of Ron Stoppable's parents, Abe & Rachel, and the first name of Richard Harte's sister, Daphne, similarly find their origin in my fevered imagination.

Richard Harte is the composite of every hero I have ever admired, real and imaginary.

He is Aragorn, and Elwin Ransom, and the Man of La Mancha.

He is an intellectual, a poet, and a warrior.

He is who I wish I could be.

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it.

In "Matilda" by Roald Dahl, the young girl was a prodigy; she taught herself to read by age four--and had the ability of telekinesis. In Kenjijen, Daphne Mei and Richard Leo Harte had not taught themselves how to read--nor could they practice telekinesis; but it could be said that they were prodigies. Leo and Mariah Bess had taught them to read--or rather they allowed themselves to be taught to read; Leo would later say that he and Mariah Bess simply opened the books for them and showed their children the words, and they availed themselves of the extensive pastoral library

So while Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable threw the ball to each other, and very effectively fended off the bullies from each other; and while Yoriko Kansumi watched her father repair appliances, and helped her mother harvest vegetables and tend flowers, and fetch the necessary tools for both parents, Daphne and Richard were learning to read and write--and add and subtract.

It was like pouring water from the repository of knowledge into two empty flower pots; the thirsty ground soaked it up and they bloomed prolifically.

Each little plant began to grow after its own natural tendency, both in Kenjijen and Middleton; and the same day a little ponytailed girl with hair like the rising sun and eyes like the tropical green sea said to a freckled blond boy, "You're weird; but I like you; c'mon, the swings are empty;" and formed what would become an invincible bond and a lifelong friendship was the same day--allowing for differences in time zones--that little Daphne Harte wanted to test a hypothesis.

Mariah Bess Harte had read the story of Rapunzel to Yoriko, Richard, and Daphne. Yoriko and Richard were enthralled, but Daphne was appalled! Climbing a girl's hair? Wouldn't that hurt? She must conduct an experiment; the conditions of the story must be exactly duplicated. She solemnly proposed her experiment to Yoriko and Richard; the _boy_ must climb the _girl's_ hair. Yoriko's chestnut eyes widened in terror; she mutely shook her head and ran home. Daphne was not deterred; it was as well. Yoriko's raven locks were cut in a bob; far too short. But _her_ waist length golden tresses--her mother's pride and joy, which were lovingly braided--were more than long enough. She loosened her braid and shook out her hair. She instructed her brother; she would lean out a first floor window of their home; he would take hold of her hair and pull himself up. He was hesitant; "Won't this hurt?" She regarded him narrowly; "_That's_ what I what I want to see--if the story is true." She sighed to herself--oh, the unenlightened mind--to pursue knowledge one must be dedicated, prepared to suffer. He insisted that this was an activity that required adult approval. She huffed, "Okay, _fine_." They found their father with Akiro at the church building, a short walk away. Yoriko tugged frantically at her daddy's pant leg; they had come to pull out her hair. By the time they sorted the story out, Leo and Akiro were laughing uproariously.

Leo related the tale to Mariah Bess that evening; "She's like your grandfather, dear; she tends to be a skeptic."

He acknowledged, "Yes--she 's 'from Missouri." She overheard and responded in all simplicity, "Daddy, I'm from Kenjijen"

Daphne believed in empirical evidence; she was practical, "Grounded and founded," as she would one day say; grounded in reality, founded upon solid principle. Daphne loved doing research and browsing for information. Things would pop out of her like:" Mommy, Daddy, do you know how deep the Maraianas trench is?" They would show an amazed response, partly because it delighted her so and in large part because the amazement was genuine.

Richard was the dreamer, the poet, he lived in castles, and wore armor, and rescued princesses; whereas Daphne might imagine herself as a astronaut or an explorer or a scientist, Richard imagined himself a knight, a warrior; even a bard, a troubadour.

They both found they had a love for art; Daphne's drawings looked like mechanical illustrations; Richard drew scenery: ethereal, majestic, lofty; and faces, frank, engaging, winsome.

Daphne was displaying an aptitude for mechanics; she was spending time in Akiro's shop, even more than Yoriko. Which brings us to Yoriko: sadly, Yoriko felt overshadowed by the two Harte children and the praise that was heaped upon them, even by her own parents.

Daphne displayed more interest than Yoriko did in her father's mechanical and small appliance repairs. Richard displayed more interest than Yoriko did in both the stories and the faith of her parents' congregation; not that Yoriko was not drawn the stories; in fact, Yoriko was drawn to the faith of her fathers but not her father. To Yoriko's rescue came her grandfather.

Akiro's father Ichiro Kansumi a spry old man who had been everything in his life a fisherman, a dockhand, a cab driver, a carpenter, a bartender, a roustabout, and was now a storyteller. He had served the emperor faithfully during the war as a member of the Imperial Navy. He could tell stories that would make his son and daughter-in-law blush. But for the children there were stories of a different kind: the tales of the gods and heroes of old Japan; and Yoriko, Daphne, and Richard all listened keen and attentive pleasure to the stories, Richard in particular; but for Yoriko there was a special place in Ichiro's heart.

Goro Takayama came into their lives gently but noticeably, like a cool breeze on a sweltering summer day; he was Ichiro Kansumi's commanding officer aboard ship during the war, and the two had formed a fast friendship that had lasted to the present.

After the war Takayama-san had become a teacher, and then a headmaster, of an academy. The academy was not his to found; it had been in existence for many generations, almost thirty, in fact. But he put his own stamp on it. Learning was based on a martial arts model, based on discipline; the classroom was as important as the dojo, and Master Goro would quote Louis Pasteur: "Fortune favors the prepared mind."

The school of master Goro was broad in scope; though he was Shinto, he had high regard for spirituality in general, as he quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson: "We are born believing. A man bears beliefs as a tree bears apples." He reminded his Muslim students: "As the Prophet says, 'The ink of the scholar is as important as the blood of the martyr." He reminded his Jewish students: "As Solomon says, "The sayings of the wise are like goads." He reminded his Christian students: "As St. Paul says, 'Study to show yourself approved."

When Ichiro introduced his former commanding officer to his young listeners, they bowed and addressed him as one would an august master. "Takayama-sama," the Harte children stumbled over the pronunciation of his name; he smiled hugely; he was a man of great whimsy; he loved to amuse and to be amused. They were fascinated with his physical appearance: he was short, but had a barrel chest, a mighty beard, and a deep baritone voice. He favored a traditional red silk shirt, which accentuated his resemblence to a certain popular Christmas figure. His long white hair he wore in a small topknot, like a traditional sage

Richard blurted out in his simplicity, "Sir, you look like Jurojin." Master Takayama chuckled even more: "Young Richard-san, do you know who Jurojin is?"

"Yes sir; he is one of the Shichi Fukujing; he is the god of long life and happy old age; he travels with his friends, the crane, the turtle, and the deer. He carries a staff and a scroll; on the scroll is written all the wisdom of the world and he likes to drink _sake. _I read about him in a book."

Goro Takayama had never been married, so he did not know connubial bliss. He was a reverent man but had never had a mystical experience; but when he talked to the two children, he was dumbfounded. And when he talked to Richard--

"I like the story of Momotara and his friends and how he conquered the oni."

"And what else do you know of our stories, young Richard-san?"

"I'm trying to read the Kojiki;" (the Shinto sacred text).

"In your own language?"

"No sir; in yours."

--he trembled with awe. "Harte-san, your children are like fertile fields, ready for the planting; but your son--there is a greatness upon him that leaves me speechless! I humbly ask permission­­­­­: grant me the honor of teaching them."

Akiro shared his opinion with Leo: "Master Goro is a man of profound learning and insight. I know of others in the village who have sent their children to his academy; he will respect the faith tradition you have imparted to your children."

Leo and Mariah Bess cautiously approached the children; it was not like being schooled at home; they would live at the academy, but the parents would visit them often. The children leaped at the opportunity; they already had the love of learning fostered in them, and they were enamored with Master Goro. They would be a support each other.

Master Goro tutored them personally--both the academic and martial art disciplines; it was like pouring water into two little sponges.

Daphne was a researcher, a gatherer of data. Richard was different; with him knowledge became innate; he acquired a love for the ancient peoples and cultures. Daphne would one day say that he had a thousand year old soul: when he spoke of the Rome of the Caesars, or the Greece of Agamemnon, or the Egypt of Ramses, or Han Dynasty China, or the Canaan of Abraham, or Babylon, Assyria, or Sumer, it was though he had been there. Richard received all the knowledge Master Takayama could pour into him; and Goro Takayama was stunned at the keen grasp and insight of the son of Mariah Bess and Leo Harte: "Master, the Bushido of the east is like the chivalry of the west."

Child behaviorists and teachers tell us that the name of a child is of crucial importance. It reflects their parents' hopes for them, and determines in a way what direction their life will take. And so it would be with our characters. "Kimberly" came from the Old English name "Cynaburga", "strong fortress"; and so she would prove to be, a helper, a defender, a fearless heroine. "Ann" was derived the Hebrew "Hannah", meaning "gracious" (and Drs. Mom and Dad Possible tried with all their gentle might to encourage their Kimmie-cub's gracious and patient side--but the fiery temper was as ever-present as the fiery hair--and the little twin rascals did not help matters.) "Ronald" came from the Germanic "Reginold", "to advise the ruler"; and so he would come to be Kim's faithful lifelong friend and good right hand. "Yoriko"--or the shortened form "Yori"-- meant "dependable"; mundane-sounding but it would be prophetic. She would become very dependable; she would serve her Sensei and her "Ron-san", and put others' interests ahead of her own. "Daphne" came from the Greek: "fragrant laurel tree"; she would prove to be strong and quiet; her stalwart and supportive nature would be a sweet savor to her brother, father, and friends. "Richard" was German: "power of bravery"; it was--or would one day be--self-evident.

About the children's middle names, this should be added: Mariah Bess took charge of naming the children. In honor of the land that was now their home, Daphne's middle name was Japanese: "Mei", which meant "garment", from the Bible passage, Isaiah 61:3:

...To give unto them... the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness...

"Leo" came of course from his father, Leo Benjamin.

They were often questioned in later years whether the resemblance of Richard's name to the name of the legendary English king was intentional or not. Leo foresaw the perplexity it might give rise to, but neither he nor Mariah Bess let it concern them. However, as C.S. Lewis tells us, there are no accidents regarding in such things, that before the world was created our names are already ordained to each of us. And so it would be, that though many people would notice the resemblance between Richard Harte's name and the legendary English king who led the Third Crusade, befriended Robin Hood, and was renowned for his bravery, none ever pointed it out until Master Goro, who conferred upon Richard a nickname, as much out of affection as admiration for and acknowledgement of the boy's bravery; for, as Master Goro said:" as the Buddha says,

'A child without courage is like a night without stars."

And true to the hopes of and dreams of Richard's parents, and of his teacher, Master Goro,

that nickname would mark the course of his life,

and the draw of his heart,

And his great and compelling ambition;

And the what was the prophetic nickname?

Why, of course, what else could it be?

Lionheart.

Footnotes:

I found the meaning of the children's' names at


	4. Chpt 4:Heroes Are Born & Made

This chapter took a long time to write (since October 2005). I wanted to get it right: the building of the mind and soul of Kim Possible, Richard Harte, and the rest of the band of heroes, and all the things that formed and influenced them.

There is a large cast of characters, both starring and supporting.

Like the kid in "The Pagemaster, I grooved on books growing up. I still groove on books, and I decided to make all my young heroes and heroines the same way. I've listed lots of books and characters, and tried to explain them all without getting too long-winded.

Why did I spend so much time in Shoko Asahara? First, because it really happened. Second, because I wanted to show that fanaticism and delusion is not a Muslim thing, or Christian thing. It's not an Arab, or southern white, or working class, or whatever thing. It's not a religious or male heterosexual thing. It's a human thing, and whoever says "It can't happen to me" is just fooling themselves. (For more on Shoko Asahara, consult the Court TV website.)

Many men have embarked over the centuries on spiritual quests, journeys, to look for meaning. They have made physical journeys, pilgrimages to holy places. They have made spiritual journeys, traveling in their mind and heart. Among are Ignatius Loyola, a Spanish soldier who became a Roman Catholic monk and founded the Jesuits. Another is Siddhartha Gautama, a prince, whom we know as the Buddha.

This is more than just a simple tale of action and drama. Some have accused me of making Richard Harte a "Mary Sue", the flawless hero, the too-good-to-be-true, the Deus Ex Machina, the handy plot device to solve every problem. The truth is that he is all of us, just as Kim, Ron, and Daphne are.

Ron is the loveable but inept, who gets everything wrong, is afraid of everything; who settles for what things are, but still wants to be better.

Kim is the popular, the talented, but sometimes shallow, the I-can-do-everything, the I-don't-fear-anything sometimes ruled by the fear of being unpopular.

Daphne is the stern, the intellectual, sometimes relentless realist, who sometimes judges more by the mind instead of the heart.

And Rich? He is the starry-eyed idealist, the Luke Skywalker, for whom sometimes life has a rude wake-up call. He is the young hero we all want to be at sometime in our life, who wants to save the world, who sees everything good in everyone.

And now the disclaimers.

Kim Possible and the Middleton characters belong to Disney.

Richard Harte and his sister Daphne are my characters, based on the artwork of Richard Sirois and his characters, Richard Lionheart, and his sister Helen, who are based on the real-life Richard and his real-life sister, Helene. Both Richard and Helene Sirois are found at DeviantArt-dot-com. as Lionheartcartoon and Sueikito.

Kenjinen and all its characters are mine, with the exception of Yoriko, who is a K.P. character. Yoriko's family name, Kansumi, is the creation of Captainkodak1 and is used with permission.

Pippi Longstocking is the creation of author Astrid Lindgren. Madeline and Miss Clavel are the creations of author Ludwig Bemelmans.

I split this chpt. up. Hopefully small bites make a better meal.

On with the show.

_**HEROES ARE BORN AND MADE, pt. 1**_

How do you make a hero? "You don't," someone says; "heroes are born, not made." How do you make a villain? Someone says, "It's not my fault; I was raised this way, the social pressures. I didn't have the opportunity to do better." The truth is we all have in us both a hero and a villain. As Albus Dumbledore tells Harry Potter: the difference is choice. Sometimes a loving family helps--or doesn't. Sometimes a broken family hinders--or doesn't.

_**SHOKO ASAHARA**_

In both the real world and the imaginary world of Kim Possible and Richard Harte, Chizuo Matsumoto was born in Kyushu, Japan in 1955, into extreme poverty He had infantile glaucoma at birth; he had no sight in his left eye and only partial sight in his right. His father made straw mats for a living; the family lived in a shack with dirt floors.

He was bullied at school and was transferred to a government-school for the blind. He now had the advantage; he went from being bullied to being a bully. He did favors for money. His ambition was to be rich. By the time he graduated high school he had acquired high grades, a black belt in judo, and 30,000.

His ambitions went higher: to attend the prestigious Tokyo University, join the ruling political party, and become Prime Minister. But the university turned down his application for admission. He was embittered and returned to Kyushu. But a few months later he married Tomoko, a bright young college student from Tokyo. He founded an acupuncture clinic that his wife persuaded her family to invest in. He charged 7000 for a three week yoga course and sold herbal remedies consisting of fruit rinds soaked in alcohol. He was fined 1000 when customers complained to the police that his herbal remedies did not work. But this was small change compared to the 200,000 that the clinic earned him

Chizuo Matsumoto had wealth and fame, but he wanted more. He began to practice spiritual meditation. He attended dozens of cult and sect meetings. He claimed to have psychic experiences and to have the ability to see auras around people.

In 1984 he founded Aum Incorporated and changed his image. He grew his hair and beard, and took to wearing flowing white robes. He took a grandiose new name, Shoko Asahara. He claimed to be able to levitate, have x-ray vision, read minds, and see the future. And he could teach others to do the same. He had a new mission: to have followers who would look on him as a messiah. He wanted more than to live well, to fleece people. He wanted allegiance. He wanted worship.

In 1987 he went to see the Dalai Lama in India. He came back, he said, with a divine mission. To preach the new message: the world would be destroyed in 2003, and only the members of Aum would be saved. The people flocked to Shoko Asahara and paid good money for his blessings. 350 for the "Injection of divine energy", being touched on the head by the Master. 7000 to drink a small glass of "The Master's blood". 800 for a quart of Miracle Pond water: the Master's bath water. People claimed miraculous healings.

In 1988 Aum built their world headquarters at the foot of Mt. Fuji. People paid 2000 a week to hear the Master lecture and surrendered all they owned to join Aum. The new members got a meal a day of steamed vegetables and a spot on the floor to sleep on. The membership grew several thousand. At the core of this membership was a group of brilliant scientists who were disillusioned by the high pressure corporate lifestyle and yearned for simplicity.

There was a man named Hideo Murai, a genius, a brilliant astrophysicist. He became Asahara's chief scientist and eventual builder of weapons of mass destruction. Others joined, genetic engineers, telecommunications experts, artificial intelligence designers, chemists. They applied their intellect to making fake inventions and treatments: something called the Perfect Salvation Initiation, a cloth hairnet with tiny electrodes to stimulate the brain of the wearer, and a process to extract the Master's DNA and synthesize it into a beverage, like the potion made of Asahara's blood.

Concern began to circulate that Aum was using food and sleep deprivation on its members. A newspaper printed unfavorable articles about "twisted doctrines". Shoko Asahara countered; he and a group of followers threatened the editor. The editor's family was publicly harassed. Their home was got telephoned threats day and night. Finally the man suffered a massive stroke and Aum celebrated "heaven's vengeance". Police and legal authorities did not respond for fear of appearing to oppose religious freedom.

A certain young man had doubts and wanted to leave Aum. Shoko Asahara decreed: hold him in custody. Obviously his mind was disordered; dunk him repeatedly.

The young man died. His friend Shuji Taguchi wanted to go to the police. He also was held. He was terror-stricken, but felt an obligation not to be silent about the other man's death.

Shoko Asahara told Dr.Murai about _poa_, being "the elevation of one's soul to a higher plane." He said, "You know what you must do, Dr. Murai." And they broke the man's neck. He ordered the body burned. Rumors spread throughout Aum. More people wanted to defect. A lawyer wanted to represent them, Tsutsumi Sakamoto with wife, Satoko, and infant son, Tatsuhiko.

The lawyer's family was harassed and finally murdered. Again, it was Dr. Murai who headed the death squad. And he ordered the bodies burned. Of the infant child, he proclaimed to his followers, "Do not feel guilty. You have sent the child to a higher plane of existence."

More people wanted to jump ship. It was beginning to come apart. Things were beginning to unravel. Shoko Asahara was becoming paranoid, losing touch with reality. He deemed the time was right for a political takeover, so he ran for Prime Minister in the next election. His followers ran for the vacant seats in the legislature. They ran a dirty campaign. They bribed voters and officials. They threatened, slandered, and libeled other candidates. They assaulted other campaign workers. But they lost the election--big. Not a single Aum candidate won.

Shoko Asahara was enraged. How dare the people reject him? They must be taught a lesson.

Shoko Asahara pondered. What manner of devastation should he loose on the people? Nuclear, chemical, or biological? Again he went to his chief scientist Dr. Murai. "Make me weapons of mass destruction." And so good men, honest decent hardworking men, doctors, lawyers, professors who in their former lives wouldn't hurt a fly, were now planning and committing the most heinous things imaginable under Shoko Asahara's direction.

And even as Shoko Asahara spread his empire, the foundation began to crumble. The irony was that, as highly placed government officials scrambled to gain his favor, he sought to micromanage the trickle of defectors.

Aum founded a chapter in Moscow. Thousands joined. But the purpose was to obtain black market nuclear technology from the now defunct Soviet Union. Aum founded a chapter in Australia--to try and obtain property with uranium deposits, to mine.

But upon consideration, he decided something else. Dr. Murai suggested a chemical weapon, cheap, easy to obtain. He suggested sarin nerve gas, invented by Nazi Germany, used in the concentration camps. It would be most effective weapon.

They tested both the nerve gas and anthrax in various rural towns, with mixed results, mostly unsatisfactory. Usually the wind change direction and the toxic elements floated away from the populated areas.

Still, Shoko Asahara was pleased. He laid his plans. Originally, he wanted to storm all the governmental and law-enforcement buildings with his thousands of Aum followers armed, and stage a bloody coup. What he settled for was much less complicated but just a deadly. He picked a target: the Tokyo subway system, which carries five million commuters a day and 2.7 billion a year. He picked a weapon. The sarin nerve gas. Dr. Murai perfected simple means of delivery: The sarin was contained in bags of toxic-resistant polythene plastic. Five men were issued a bag, and an umbrella with a sharpened point. They practiced several times.

At this same time, an elderly woman had defected. She had given 600,000 to Aum, but was alarmed by it's excesses. Shoko Asahara gave orders to find her.

Instead, her elderly brother Kiyoshi Kariya .was kidnapped. He was tortured and injected with drugs. He went into a coma and died. His body was dissolved in a large vat of nitric acid.

He had left a note for his family: "If I disappear, I was abducted by Aum Supreme Truth."

The police, so long intimated by the reputation of Aum, finally decided to act. They prepared to raid Aum headquarters, the largest raid in the history of the department.

But Shoko Asahara was making his own preparations.

On Monday, March 20, 1995, the five hand-picked men left the Aum headquarters. The plan was for the five men to carry knapsacks with bags of sarin gas wrapped in newspaper and tape, to take separate trains to one of the main subway stations, Kasumigaseki Station. Each punctured his knapsack with the sharpened umbrella point and left the train. It was timed that the five trains would arrive at the station at the same time, during the morning rush hour commute. People started collapsing almost immediately. Within hours 12 were dead and 5500 were injured. Tokyo, thought one of the safest cities in the world, was like a city under siege.

And the police raid was about to take place.

But Aum spies on the police force got wind of the raid and published the time and place on the Internet. Shoko Asahara fled in his chauffeured limousine. The people left frantically burned records, moved equipment, and fled to other hideouts.

The police found the sarin bags in the subway cars. They found chemical and arsenal stockpiles, interrogation rooms with torture equipment, and even a few prisoners.

Arrests began. The chief of the national police force was shot (not fatally). An anonymous message was sent to a television station. More attacks would result if the arrests did not stop

Shoko Asahara issued a message from hiding. Another attack would take place on April 15.

When the day came, thousands of police patrolled the streets. Rumors flew about poisoned water, nerve gas, and gang violence. Nothing happened.

On April 23, 1995, as he was entering the offices of his lawyer, Dr. Murai, the chief scientist of Aum, was stabbed repeatedly by a man. He died of his injuries. The man gave conflicting stories. First, he claimed to be angry over the subway incident. Then he admitted to have been hired by a Yakusa mob chief to kill an Aum high official.

On the evening of May 5, a public holiday in Japan, a gas bomb was found in the public restroom of another subway station. The fire department deactivated it. The device contained cyanide gas. If the full volume had been released and entered the ventilation system, 20,000 people could have died.

On May 15, Shoko Asahara was discovered hiding in one of the Aum buildings that had already supposedly been searched. He was arrested and taken into custody under full media coverage.

Four more cyanide bombs were found, two in the subway system, but none had gone off.

The trials of Shoko Asahara and all the Aum high officials began in 1996. Shoko Asahara was charged with 23 counts of murder. He pled not guilty to all of them.

The trials have gone on for years. Some of the high officials have been hung. Shoko Asahara's wife was arrested on suspicion of killing a member who wanted to leave Aum. Her sentence ended in 2002. She claims to have left Aum.

The group has been stripped of its religious affiliation by the government. Still, the group markets Shoko Asahara's old remedies to raise funds. The membership of the group has doubled again since his arrest. The members still revere him and still believe that they alone will survive the coming Armageddon.

Aum has supposedly reformed, but t encourages its members to become computer-literate--for the purpose of cyber-terrorism, according to a CIA report.

Canada has banned the organization. Russia, Australia, and the United States have placed Aum on a terrorist-organization watch list.

On February 27, 2004, Shoko Asahara was sentenced to death by hanging. He yawned and laughed.

His daughter is now head of Aum. He remains imprisoned, awaiting his hanging. He believes the Apocalypse will come first.

For the rest of the story, the names of Shoko Asahara and Aum will not be mentioned again. He will be referred to as he referred to himself, the Venerable Master, his chief of research Hideo Murai as the Doctor, and Aum as the Mountain of Supreme Truth.

Villainy, like heroism, sometimes begins small.

_**in Kenjijen, Japan**_

Yoriko's grandfather, Ichiro Kamsumi-san would gather the children around him, Yoriko, and her two friends, Daphne and Richard Harte.

He sat cross-legged on the ground with the children. He was very spry and nimble for a man in his seventies. With his voice and gestures he took his listeners to other times and places. Three little heads leaned forward, black-haired, blonde-haired, and brown-haired. Three pairs of eyes watched, almond-dark, bright-blue, and deep-brown as the children listened absolutely spellbound as they likewise sat cross-legged.

Some of the stories were of traditional Japanese heroes.

One such story was of Momotaro, or "Peach Child". A childless elderly couple had found a peach, and when they cut it open, a tiny child emerged. They were amazed when the infant sat up and devoured the entire fruit, for which they named him. He grew to be a brave and noble young man, but he remained small. When he was fifteen years old, he vowed to rid the land of the Oni, the demons that were bothering the people and k kidnapping their daughters. His adopted mother cooked him three dumplings for his journey. On the way he met three animal companions, a dog, a pheasant, and a monkey. He shared his dumplings and they vowed to aid him on his errand. They sailed to the island of the Oni, stormed the castle, and slew all the demons. They returned with the girls they had freed and the treasure of the Oni, which Momotaro gave to the people.

Another story was of Yoshitsune and his companion Benkei. Yoshitsune's people, the Minamoto clan, suffered grievous defeat. The Tengu, the mysterious little bird imps who lived in the trees and mountains, taught him the art of warfare and swordplay. He became a great warrior, and avenged the defeat of his people. Benkei was a giant, a child of the Tengu, whom Yotishuni defeated in a duel, and by agreement became his servant. Together they had many adventures, such as fighting the Taira, a clan of ghosts.

Richard Harte took note of the elements of these stories: heroes, with faithful companions who fought in defense of others.

Ichiro Kansumi told them the stories from the Greek mythology, Jason and the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece, Hercules and his Twelve Labors, Perseus and Medusa, Theseus and the Minotaur, the Trojan Horse, Odysseus and his voyage.

Ichiro told true stories also. There were stories of courageous last stands.

In the Fifth Century B.C., a few hundred Greeks fended off the army of the King of Persia, Xerxes, the many thousands of Persians for three days at the narrow mountain pass of Thermopylae, giving the rest of Greece time to evacuate its cities and prepare a defense. At last the King of Sparta, Leonidas, and his bodyguard of three-hundred soldiers, stayed behind while the rest retreated to safety. They held off the attacks of the Persian elite soldiers, the Ten Thousand Immortals--and were finally surrounded and slaughtered to the last man.

There was the American story of Davy Crocket and Jim Bowie at the Alamo, how a small group of Texans held off the Mexican army for a week, before dying to the last man.

He told stories of victorious battles.

After the death of Leonidas and his men at the battle of Thermopylae, the Greek fleet won a smashing victory against the Persian fleet at the Bay of Salamis. Xerxes watched from a hill overlooking the harbor. To his horror, he saw his fleet of seven hundred ships destroyed by a Greek fleet half the size. The Ten Thousand Immortals that were prepared to conquer Greece died to the last man.

In the year 1274, Kublai Khan, the Emperor of China and the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, sent a great fleet to invade Japan. At the Battle of Bun'ei, the Mongol army had several advantages. The Samurai were accustomed to fighting individual hand-to-hand battles, and unused to the large-armed-force style of warfare. The Mongols were armed with grenades. But after a day, a great storm rose. The Mongol fleet had to put to sea to avoid being wrecked onshore, and the soldiers had to board the ships to avoid being marooned. But many ships were sunk, and the Mongol soldiers did not know how to swim.

The Shogun ordered forts built at the probable landing points

In 1281, Kublai Kahn tried again. It was the Battle of Koan. The Samurai were better organized. They drove the Mongol fleet back to sea. And this time, said Ichiro, the gods sent the Great Typhoon, the Kamikaze, the Divine Wind. Again the fleet was destroyed, and the Mongols' reputation of invincibility in battle was utterly broken.

Yoriko's mother, Rina, and the Harte twins' mother, Mariah Bess, were somewhat distressed to have Ichiro telling stories of war, but the stories burned in the hearts of the children.

Because Richard and Daphne were ethnic Americans, Ichiro included stories of American heroes: Hiawatha, Paul Bunyan, and Pecos Bill, to name just a few. The old man seemed to be an inexhaustible treasure chest of stories.

To Yoriko, her grandfather was a hero. She loved to be allowed to look at his old sailor's uniform from his days in the Imperial Navy. He had received a medal for courage and valor under fire during the Battle of Midway--and even letters of commendation from Minister Tojo--and the Emperor himself.

Daphne had a hero, also...

_**Seiko Ito**_

Seiko Ito was a hero; he was the janitor and handyman of the church building in Kenjijen. With Akiro Kansumi he kept up the maintenance of the wiring, plumbing, plastering, and the appliances. He helped Akiro in his shop, and went with Akiro when he made "house calls."

Seiko Ito honored the gods--all of them. His heart swelled with bliss every Christmas when he heard the story of Bethlehem, the manger, and the birth of Christ Child. He wept with sorrow every Good Friday when he heard the story the shameful trial, the hideous beating, torturous walk to Golgotha and the cross; and he wept with rapturous joy when the angel told the women at the empty tomb: "He is risen!" He also lit incense sticks to a little Buddha in his room, and had a small Shinto shine on the dresser to the memory of his parents. Before the black-and-white picture he would humbly close his eyes, clasp his hands, and bow with deepest respectful silence, in the morning when he awoke, and in the evening before he lay down.

His smile was gap-toothed and his hair was buzz-cut. He favored t-shirts with classic American rock-groups, like Lead Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and Lynard Skynard. He had rescued little two-year old Daphne when she stumbled and fell into the fish pond at someone's house. He was there with Akiro. They heard a splash and cries for help. The pond was hardly ankle deep, but he immediately dashed in and lifted her out, choking and sputtering. He earned the profound and lifelong gratitude of Leo and Mariah Bess. And Daphne became his worshipper and loyal follower.

Daphne was proud of her name, "laurel tree" in Greek, and she told anyone who would listen. Seiko always listened, and every time she told him, he exclaimed how wonderful it was. He called her his "little Gekkeiju", his "little Laurel Tree" in Japanese. They would sit together under the tree, and Daphne would serve milk and cookies. She would share her picture books with him; and again, when she learned to read, she would try to teach him how to read, both in Japanese and English. He would rub his stubbled head, shrug, and mumble his apologies; and she would smile and hug him. Her girlish giggle was music to his ears, the sweetest sound he would ever hear. Except for her mother, Seiko Ito would be the recipient of Daphne's tenderest emotions

Bur for Richard Harte, it felt strange. He loved his father, and he deeply respected Akiro-san, Ichiro-san, and even felt affection for Seiko-san. But he felt a gap in his heart. There were urges so high, so lofty, he couldn't put a name on them. And there was no real-life figure he could look at and say, this is someone I profoundly revere.

This was not to say the children did not honor their fathers. Daphne and Richard were never more proud of their father when he preached. That part of Richard's heart that was drawn to stories of heroism took flight as he listened to the stories of the Bible and the virtues of goodness that Leo highlighted. And Yoriko was proud of her father, both for the respect that the congregation held him in, and for the honor that the entire village showered on him, Christian, Shinto, and Buddhist alike for the uprightness of his character.

_**in Middleton, Colorado, U.S.A.**_

Kim Possible loved to have her hair brushed and arranged into the twin ponytails. She would turn her head from side to side and flip them back and forth

(Rina Kansumi, Mariah Bess Harte, and Annette Possible each loved to fuss and primp their daughters' hair. All three little girls had marvelous heads of hair. Yoriko's long locks were a black as a raven's feathers and as straight as a rice stalk. Daphne's tresses were as fine as silk and as golden as a sunflower. Kim's luxuriant mane was thick as a Wheatfield and as bright as sunrise.)

And Kim loved to be read to. But her father James was a rocket engineer and her mother Annette was a neurosurgeon, and the busy schedules of both Dr. Possible's often meant that Emily, or Em, Possible, James's mother and Kim's grandmother, often babysat. "Nana, story," Kim, a very assertive child, would demand.

And Nana sat cross-legged on the ground with her granddaughter. She was spry and nimble for a woman in her seventies. She read the stories of Madeline and Pippi Longstocking, two other red-headed girls. Madeline, the clever little student at the French boarding school, had a heart for helping others, and could solve any dilemma; of course she was a natural born leader to the other girls and a source of constant worry to sweet Miss Clavell. Pippi Longstocking, in her bright red braided pigtails and colorful striped socks, had no idea she was the strongest girl in the world.

And Nana told Kim of her adventures during the Second World War as an agent for the anti-Nazi Resistance, at the side of a dashing archaeologist, the love of her life, whom Nana referred to as "Indy".

For a while, Kim wanted to dress like Pippi Longstocking. The striped stockings were easy to find. But Pippi's braids were another matter. According to the story, her hair was braided so tight that the braids stuck out sideways. Mrs. Dr. Possible solved the problem. At a costume shop, she found a novelty arrow with a headband, that a person could wear and look like the arrow had pierced their head. Mrs.Dr.P. found one in a child's size. shortened the arrow shaft on each side of the headband, cushioned each end of the shaft with a rubber tip to prevent injury, and braided Kim's long hair around the shaft. And so Kim had Pippi Longstocking braids. It took some work to fix up her hair each time she wanted to play "Pippi", but even Mr.Dr.P. learned the trick as well as Mrs.Dr.P. and Nana.

Abe and Rachel Stoppable were a quiet couple and led a quiet life.

Abe Stoppable often made light of his vocation. "I'm an actuary, and I can work anywhere people are reduced to a meaningless number." But in reality he was aware of the tendency of that profession to dehumanize both him and his clients, so he tried hard to be unconventional in his quiet way. He was known for his penchant for loud shirts and dry wit. He served faithfully in his congregation as a cantor, and Rabbi Katz could count on him.

Rachel Stoppable was a bank teller. She loved to garden, and doted very much upon her only child.

Ron Stoppable hardly climbed the ladder to the treehouse his father had built for him. He was scared of bugs and spiders. He was allergic to pet hair. The cute little monkey plushie Abe's parents bought for him made him cry every time he saw it, so it was put away. The little elf lawn ornament also scared him. The monkeys and lawn elves chased him often in his dreams.

But there was one time and place he felt brave. Storytime. He loved Treasure Island, and Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson. He loved the Fearless Ferret comics his father shared with him, comics Abe had collected in his youth. He imagined himself as the Fearless Ferret, with his sidekick Wonder Weasel, driving the Ferretmobile.

He listened to the stories of David and Goliath, Gideon and the Midianites, Daniel in the lions' den, and Moses before Pharaoh.

He listened to the fairy tales, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Rapunzel. And he imagined himself as the Prince rescuing the Princess.

And Ron wondered: would he ever be a hero?

_**a mother's heart**_

Mariah Bess Harte, Rina Kansumi, and Annette Possible each loved their daughters. And Mariah Bess Harte, Emily Possible, and Rachel Stoppable each loved their sons with a mother's love for her brave, intrepid young man (or men). But Emily Possible and Rachel Stoppable each felt an ache in their heart, a yearning, an almost physical hunger to have a daughter, to smother with embraces, to watch at play with their dolls, dressing them, having tea parties.

_**the building blocks**_

The stories that were told to each of the five children were like stones laid for a foundation, for each of their lives to be built upon. The building of their lives took a more serious turn when they turned five. Annette's twin sons came into the lives of the Possible family. Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable came into each other's life at ABC Preschool. Goro Takyama, the headmaster of the Academy, came into the lives of Richard and Daphne Harte.

_**to be continued**_


	5. Ch 5: heroes are born: storytime

This represents a milestone. My first fanfic, and it keeps getting stalled out. Almost 2 years between updates. Further up and further in.

I have second thoughts about spending a lot of print telling the story of Shoko Asahara in the last chpt. It had nothing about Kim Possible. But I felt it was essential to the story. Kim and Ron are about love and goodness. So is Richard Harte.

But it's done--water over the dam. We continue with the story. As I explained in the last chpt., I'm a book nut--a heroic story nut. I draw upon the reading of a lifetime.

Don't be afraid. Review. Flame. Tell me: "Dude! It's too wordy! Who do you think we are? Library science majors? Just give us Kim and Ron!"

I've also decided to backtrack a bit. Or I might scrap it and do a rewrite.

Just a note about Ron Stoppable's mother. She gets a bad rap on the show and in the fanfic's. Bossy. Domineering. Does Ron's thinking for him. Hates Kim. And I carry on the tradition. I play it up for all it's worth. But I also want to portray things from her POV. Her mother-in-law is just as domineering and hateful--maybe more so. And she's trying to the best of her ability to do the right thing by her son. And in the years to come, she will suffer from the sense of inferiority of Kim's parents being in much more prestigious and prosperous occupations than she and her husband. She will suffer on Ron's behalf, as Kim will be a better student and a stronger, more aggressive personality than Ron.

Rachel Stoppable will suffer on Ron's behalf as he grows into the role that she's, in a way, forcing him into, despite her best intentions--a slacker. And she will pick up on Mr. Dr. P.'s loving but slightly disdainful sense of superiority about Ron (which, if I perceive, is abundantly portrayed on the show.) Check out some of my other fic's. A Little Nap and The Seven Kisses of Kim Possible. (Shameless plug.)

And she will resent Kim for two contradictory reasons. A. That Kim crushes on other boys instead of Ron. B. That Kim might crush on Ron--and 1. Capture his heart, or 2. Break his heart. Confused? That's life. Any person who's at all honest him- (or her-) -self for at least a few minutes a day will recognise that he (or she) is full of contradictory emotions, desires, and motivations. And your Bible-thumping author is gonna lay a Bible expression on you. It's called a divided heart. Read Romans chpt. 7 & James chpt. 1

About the details of traditional Japanese homes--from Wikipedia.

About the Japanese folk heroes--see previous chpt.

About the details of WW2--what I recall from college.

About Kim's tarantula. Did some research at Wiki. Just to make sure there was such an animal. There is.

About Slim Possible and his fiancé Ivymae. I borrowed from my other fic, The Other Mrs. Possible.

About Emily Possible's husband and Slim & Squirt's father being Indiana Jones--check out my FF-dot-net profile, my fellow fanauthor G-Go, and my story Indiana Jones and the Face of Uzuki.

Did I go too far with telling the story of the Second World War through the eyes of Ichiro Kansumi? Sorry.

The cast (maybe this will help keep the characters straight):

In Middleton:

Kimberly Ann Possible, the girl who can do anything

Annette Joan Possible, Kim's mother, neurosurgeon

James Timothy Possible, Kim's father, rocket engineer

Jim and Tim Possible, Kim's brothers, the "Tweabs"

Emily (Em) Possible, James Timothy's mother, and Kim's "Nana", or grandmother

Ronald Adrian Stoppable, Kim's best friend

Rachel Stoppable, Ron's mother, bank teller

Abraham Jacob Stoppable, Ron's father, actuary and synagogue cantor

In Kenjijen:

Richard Leo Harte, the boy who wants to be a hero

Daphne Mei Harte, Richard's twin sister

Mariah Bess Harte, the twins' mother, and missionary

Leo Benedict Harte, the twins' father, and missionary

Yoriko Kansumi, the twins' friend--and Ron Stoppable's future friend

Katrina (Rina) Kansumi, Yoriko's mother

Akiro Kansumi, Yoriko's father, and church elder

Ichiro Kansumi, Akiro's father

Seiko Ito, church janitor

In Tokyo:

The Venerable Master, founder and absolute leader of the Mountain of Supreme Truth cult

The Doctor, inventor of weapons of mass destruction for the Venerable Master

Juro Ito, Seiko's brother and small-time criminal

On with the show.

_**KIM AND THE LIONHEART**_

_**chpt. 5**_

_**HEROES ARE BORN AND MADE**_

_**storytime**_

In some ways, the small city of Middleton, Colorado, and the small village of Kenjijen, Japan, were alike. Both were set in a small picturesque valley under a great mountain. Mt. Middleton overlooked the one, and Mt. Yamanuchi overlooked the other. Middleton was not far from large urban Denver, and Kenjijen was not far from large urban Tokyo.

In other ways, they were quite different.

Denver was a state capital and regional urban center. Middleton was a growing community, with an International Airport, a University, a Medical Center, and an Aerospace Center. The entire Tri-City area, as it was known, was growing--with the possible exception of Lowerton. Lowerton had great hopes of becoming a center of industry, back in the time of the legendary Middleton World's Fair and Exposition--but the railroads went to Denver, and the University and its Observatory went to Middleton.

Middleton, like Boulder, became a center of learning, and Lowerton was already feeling the touch of economic blight. And to add insult to injury, Upperton underwent a growth spurt.

Like Aspen, Upperton had become the local center of the ski industry. While Lowerton became an economically depressed area, Upperton had a housing boom. Property costs soared. Condos went up. So the Tri-City area reflected the entire economic spectrum. Lowerton had its high-rises and crime, Middleton had its middle class suburb atmosphere, and Upperton had the rarified air of the well-to-do.

But unlike Denver, Tokyo was a national capital and a world urban center. Tokyo was on a world stage, and was more akin to Hong Kong, or Sydney, or New York.

Kenjijen was centuries old, and still looked as it had for centuries. Like Fujiyama, Mt. Yamanuchi was a holy mountain, a home to Hachiman, the Shinto god of war--Nippon's divine protector--and Koyasu-sama, the Shinto goddess of Mount Fuji, and cherry trees in bloom. And Kenjijen still had its tilled fields, its Shinto and Buddhist shrines, and even homes still constructed in the old way, with the _genkan, _the entrance for removing shoes, the _fusuma_, sliding doors made from wood and paper, the _tatami _floor mat, and the _shōji_ window coverings.

Like America, Japan could be very religious. Some followed the old established religions. In America, there was Christianity and Judaism, among others. In Japan there was Shinto and Buddhism.

There were also new cults. Some were merely eccentric. Some looked and felt subversive. In Tokyo, there was a man, born poor, who learned he had a gift of imaginative persuasion. He sold mystic cures. He developed a following. He sold himself as a divine messenger. More followers. Not just the poor and unlearned, but the rich and educated. He demanded his followers give all their possessions to the group.

He called himself the Venerable Master. He called his group the Mountain of Supreme Truth, to reflect the veneration Japan had for its sacred peaks, like Fujiyama and Yamanuchi. He climbed Mount Fuji, and came down claiming to have talked with the gods and the departed spirits of the Emperors. He would have climbed Mount Yamanuchi, but its summit was considered almost inaccessible. And there were those who did not desire to see a false teacher and a shyster come to the legendary home of Hachiman.

The Venerable Master became ambitious. He entered the election for Prime Minister. His followers ran for Parliament. They ran a dirty campaign. The group had so many members, they imagined they were popular. They bribed and threatened other candidates and election officials just to improve their chances.

It was a disastrous defeat in the polls. They didn't win a single seat in the Parliament. The Venerable Master did not become Prime Minister. He was furious, beside himself with rage. But he was also sly. There were other ways to acquire power. He selected from his followers the most learned scientists and lawyers. He promised them wealth, influence, pleasure--whatever they wanted.

His followers were fanatical in their belief in his divinity. The kept close watch on each other. Any disloyalty was reported to him. Anyone trying to defect was detained for questioning. If they did not repent of their unbelief and inform on other "disloyal", the Venerable Master decreed his men to escort them to the higher plane of spiritual existence--and they were never heard from again.

The Venerable Master chose his most brilliant scientist, a physicist, to be head of research. "A war is coming, my good doctor. Our defeat in the election was no accident. Our government conspires with others to rule the world. They seek to persecute and supress us on an international scale. They fear our growth in their countries. And we must teach the populace a lesson. The horse must be guided with a bridle. The donkey is stubborn and must be guided with the stick. And if neither animal learns, we must stronger measures. The whip and the club. Starvation, if necessary. And we must purify our own ranks. You are a man of mind. You will know what to do."

The Doctor bowed. "I understand, my Master. You are destined to guide humanity. And those who are slow to accept your divine word must learn that there penalties for that crime."

The Venerable Master patted his Doctor's shoulder. "You are my angel, Doctor. My prophet. The instrument of my wrath. Serve me well."

It was the Master's way. He had never given a direct order to injure or kill another living person. He merely spoke of punishment for stubborness and sin, and his followers understood what he meant.

The Doctor, as he was nicknamed, oversaw the development of armaments for the Master's soldiers, and for the conquest of the rest of the world. Doomsday was coming, and the skeptics would be chastised. It did not bother the Doctor's faith that the Master needed technology to help carry out the divine plan.

Just as the Doctor and his assistants were devising weapons of mass destruction, the others were busy. The Publisher, as he was called, infiltrated the mass media with the followers of the Mountain of Supreme Truth. And the Magistrate was building the inner core of followers in the police and armed forces.

And while all this occurred, the people of Kenjijen and Middleton labored at their vocations and raised their families.

In Kenjijen, Akiro ran the day-to-day duties of the Church of the Risen Savior. Rev. Leo Harte preached the messages. Both men prayed with the sad and the sick, and helped the poor, the old, and the handicapped.

Their wives, Rina Kamsumi and Mariah Bess Harte, ran the homes, made the meals, and taught at the village school.

Akiro and his father Ichiro ran the small enjine repair business.

And their children, Yoriko Kansumi, Daphne Harte, and Richard Harte, played, learned, and grew.

In Middleton, James Timothy Possible oversaw the invention and improvement of new means of rocket propulsion and telemetry, as Head of Development. Annette Joan Possible was unanimously chosen head of the neurosurgical practice at Tri-City Medical Center with the retirement of the senior surgeon. She was the first woman to do so. Everyone thought highly of her.

Abraham Stoppable faithfully served his firm and his clientelle as an actuary, and his congregation and Rabbi as a cantor at Temple Beth

Rachel was an efficient head teller at the Middleton branch of the First National Bank of Denver. And at home, she cared for her prize flowers.

Jim and Annette Possible raised their daughter Kim with love, optimism and endless positive reinforcement and encouragement. While one or the other, or both, were at work, Kim's Nana, Emily Possible took care of Kimmie--or Kimmie-Cub, as Jim called her.

She was a happy child and a quick learner. She could also be temperamental.

She soon learned her little pouting lip could earn her an extra helping of ice cream, or an extra story at bedtime.

Before Kim Possible could walk, she could somersault, both forwards and backwards--and she learned to walk when she was six months old.

When it came to danger, Kim was as brave as a mongoose facing a cobra. When she was two years old, Jim and his family were visiting his elder brother Slim up in Thornbush Creek in Montana. Slim was the foreman of the Lazy C Ranch, and courting the rancher's lovely daughter, Ivymae MacDonald.

Kim loved to wander the wide spacious ranch. Colorado had mountain scenery too, but the Montana big sky was quite unlike the tree-lined streets of Middleton. She would find scorpions and rattlers.

It gave Annette hysterics. She demanded that Kim stay indoors.

"But, dear," pled Jim. "The air out here is so good. This is a chance for Kimmie to get a little rough-and-tumble that she wouldn't

And the little lower lip would pout and quiver. And Annette would demand that someone accompany her. Ivymae was glad to.

Slim and Ivymae's father, Josef Macdonald, the Lazy C owner, would roar in hilarity.

"Face it, Squirt, that young 'un of yers has Ma's spit an' vinegar. Jo, did Ah ever tell yew Ma wuz a demolitions expert during the War?"

And Jim would smile wanly. "Slim, I wish you wouldn't call me that. After all, I have as many doctorates as you do."

And old Josef MacDonald clapped Jim on the back. "Possible, y'all got a helluva family. A wife almost as purty as mah Isabel Brittania. God rest 'er. An' a daughter with the spirit of an untamed mustang. Yer a blessed man, son."

And Em Possible, a widow would share heartbreak with Josef, a widower.

"My Henry--we called him 'Indiana'--or 'Indy'--he would've love it here. He was born in the wilds of Utah, and he spent his life in hair-raising adventures. We both did. God, how I miss him."

"Miz Em, mah Isabel was like a field of bitterroot in the spring. Blossoms as blue as the sky. Fragrance like no city-bred could ever imagine. The light o' mah life. But she had a congenital illness. Gave birth to a son an' daughter--an' then wasted away in less than a year. Mah boy went the same way. All Ah had wuz mah Ivymae. 'Fraid Ah'd lose 'er to a no-accout drifter. But yer boy has been like another son to me, God bless 'im. Now if only those two would settle on a wedding date, so Ah kin enjoy mah grandchildren 'afore it's mah time to pass on."

Em chuckled. "I look forward to that too, Mr. MacDonald." A child of our two families. Now **there** would be a prodigy!"

Josef sighed. "If her first is a girl, mah daughter already has a name--Jocelyn, or Joss fer short--in memory of 'er old man. Although why any gal in 'er right mind would wanna be named after an old goat like me is beyond mah reckoning."

Em shook her head. "It's a lovely name, Mr. MacDonald. Almost as lovely as Kimberly Ann."

Josef nudged her, and she saw a twinkle in his eye. "Miz Em, whut yew wuz talkin 'bout a minute ago--if yew hanker fer adventure, Ah cain't think of anything quite as exciting' as bein' the mistress of a spread like mine."

Em laughed. "Josef Macdonald, you're as big a scamp as my Indy was! No, for the moment, I'm fulfilled. But if things get boring in Colorado, I might take you up on that offer."

And the first thing Kim found when they got back from Montana was a spider. She let it rest on her arm while she brought it into the house. "Mommy, look! I saw big spiders like this when we went to see Uncle Slim. Isn't he cute? All fuzzy, like a puppy."

It was a Colorado tarantula. Bigger than Jim's hand. Normally seen around Pueblo, rarely seen in the higher elevations like the Tri-City area.

And Annette Possible, M.D., who was used to opening the skulls of anesthetized patients with a circular hand saw, stared. Then she screeched and fainted.

Kim's father and nana ran to the sound.

Jim revived his wife and Emily scooped up the creature with a coffee can.

Kim was quite distressed. "Is Mommy okay? Doesn't she like my spider?"

They drove into the country and released the creature.

"Maybe a pet for Kimmie-Cub," suggested Jim.

Annette was firm. "No! No pets! My nerves, Jim! I need steady hands when I'm going a craniotomy for subdural hematoma! I don't care if Kimmie takes up para-sailing or mountain-climbing or deep-sea diving! But no pets!"

Jim was apologetic. "Mommy and Daddy are sorry, Kimmie-Cub. What about something else? A sport, maybe?"

Kim piped up. "I wanna learn Kung-Fu!"

He was hoping she would ask for a telescope or a simple analog computer, or a rocket-building kit. It didn't happen very often, but sometimes Jim had qualms about telling his daughter she could do anything. "Uh, we'll see."

Another thing about Kim. At the impressionable age, she could've easily become a tom-boy--if not for the fact that Annette had fine taste in clothes and accessories. Kim loved to play dress-up. And Annette had a classy swank wardrobe to choose from. Kim loved to watch her mom apply make-up.

Kim developed a talent for applying cosmetics and choosing her own clothing at an early age.

This pleased Annette. It diverted Kim's interest from crawly pets--and from her father's techno-mania. Annette had nothing against modern space-electronics. She used cutting edge technology in her surgical practice. Kim would become a lady instead of a reclusive computer nerd and techno-geek.

"But, dear," lamented Jim. "You married me, and I was a computer nerd and techno geek."

Annette kissed him. "But you at least knew how to treat a lady--flowers, dinner, and holding the door open. Not like your roomies--Bob Chen and Parvi Ramesh. They still prefer to play simulation and wizard war computer games. And especially that poor man--."

"Drew Lipsky," said Jim.

"Yes. That time I came to your apartment for a blind date with him. He was so nervous. His mother insisted on chaperoning her graduate-school-age son. Oh, Jim, it was so sad. I wanted to see him again, but he was so mortified."

Jim smirked. "But you settled for his roomie--lucky for me!"

Annette nodded and hugged him. "I think I made out okay. But what ever happened to him?"

Jim shrugged. "I guess Drew became the ultimate reclusive techno geek. After that term, he dropped out of school. None of us have ever heard from him again."

"I hope he finds some happiness somehow. I just think it's tragic that he should revert to an isolated inventor.

Jim cleared his throat. "You bring up a good point, dear. I'm just as concerned about Kimmie becoming a clothes horse and fashion snob as you're concerned about her becoming a spinster to science."

Annette was chagrinned. "Jim! I never said that! And I think it's unfair for you to assume she's going to succumb to social pressures and join a series of cliques!"

"Annette! You have to agree with me that the social pressures are intense. What if Kimmie becomes--" Jim gulped. "--Boy-crazy!"

Annette laughed lightly. "Just like a father! Jim, given her background, there's every indication Kimmie will become a completive, perfectionist, type-A overachiever. And there's no indication in her background or ours to suggest she'll ever be a flirtatious, fluffy-headed girl who will fall helplessly for every young stud in her class and obsess completely about a steady boyfriend--or the lack thereof."

Jim fumed. "Well, maybe I am overprotective! But I don't want Lolita for a daughter!"

Annette laughed longer. It was a lilting laughter that Jim found most appealing. She fluttered her eyelashes and tugged on his arm. "Come on, Dr. Possible. Put aside your telescopes and your lunar landers. Let me get into my black teddy and lab coat. You can track my satellite. And when your booster rocket reaches escape velocity, you can thrust me into orbit."

Jim Possible went immediately into testosterone overdrive. He could already feel his manhood being aroused. He took off his shirt so fast, a button popped.

But while he and his wife were making love, a nagging thought kept buzzing like a mosquito in the back of Jim's mind. _My dear alluring love-goddess of a wife. You are my own personal living breathing aphrodisiac! And if there's any indication that Kimmie will be like you--I will enroll her in a convent school! I will set her curfew two hours before sunset. I won't let her date until she's old enough for Medicare!_

But Kim had a special love: story time with her parents and her nana. Poems and fairy tales. Mother Goose. Hans Christian Anderson. Or even stories of Nana's husband.

"Oh, child! The adventures your papa used to have! Going through the rain forest to find the little golden statue! Going through the desert to find the golden box!"

And Kim stared in wonder. "Gosh! Were there spiders, Nana?"

And Em chuckled. "A few--in the rain forest--and the cave. Mostly snakes. Your papa couldn't stand snakes."

"I'm not afraid of snakes, Nana!"

Em smiled wryly. "No, Kimmie, I don't think you're afraid of anything!"

"Can I go with you and Mommy and Daddy to the rain forest, Nana? Or the cave? Or the desert?" pleaded Kim. She was all ready to unleash her secret weapon--the pout.

Em sighed. "I'm afraid I'm too old for those kind of adventures, dear. And your mommy and daddy are very busy."

The pout started to appear.

"But," promised Em, "When you're older, would take your old Nana to the rain forest? Maybe we could wrestle a giant snake!"

The pout disappeared and a bright smile blossomed. "Yes, Nana!"

And as the little bundle of energy hugged Em's neck, she burbled, "I can't wait to grow up!"

And as she sprang up and away, red ponytails bouncing, Em felt a bittersweet pang. _Oh, Indy! Your sons! Your granddaughter! Can you see them where you are? You would be so proud of them! And if you can, could you ask God to let Kimmie stay a little girl for as long as possible? And--I miss you! I love you! I so want to be with you! The only things keeping me here are my loved ones!_

But the germ of an idea popped into Em's head. She had swum the English Channel when she was younger. And she had always dreamed of climbing Mount Everest. When her granddaughter was older, and before Em got too awful frail--well, who could say? But this is another story.

And all this happened when Kim was two--the dress-up, that is--not the convent school.

Ron Stoppable was eighteen months old before he finally walked unaided. Little crawly things frightened him. Rachel had to keep an immaculate house to keep out the bugs--which was hard to do, because even for a child, Ron was uncommonly untidy, leaving bits of food everywhere--at least Rachel thought it might be Ron. Was it her husband, who was neat as a pin at work, but let himself go completely at home, dressed in one of his brightly colored tropical aloha shirts? Rachel sighed. A woman's work was never done.

Ron wanted nothing to do with the treehouse his father had constructed for him.

Rachel fumed. "Abe, what was going on in your head when you made that thing?"

And Abe hemmed and hawed. "Well--the boy's so timid--just like my grandfather Jon! Obviously he's too young for a treehouse at this age, but I was hoping he and I could sort of camp out in it when he was older. At least he might outgrow the fear of heights that the men in my family seem prone to."

There was also the decorative lawn gnome, an ornament in the front yard that had replaced the bird bath--the chirping scared Ron. And Rachel liked a lawn decoration to offset her garden.

But the first time Ron saw a squat bearded little man with a pointy red had that was as tall as him, stood as still as a statue, and seemed to stare at him, he bawled until bedtime--and then had bad dreams for many nights after.

Rachel finally relegated the little man to the overstuffed garage.

(Years later, when Aunt and Uncle would come to visit, Ron's gleefully evil cousin Shawn would retrieve the little gnome statue and hide it in places like under Ron's bed covers and behind the shower curtains--but that is another story.)

When he was two, Abe let Ron help carve the pumpkin for Hallow'een. The dark holes for the eyes and mouth bothered him a little, and digging out the squishy inside was "icky". "Sick and wrong," he called it.

They looked at him in surprise. "Where did you hear that?"

Ron looked blank. And remembered. "Gramma Hannah. She says it when she comes here. She looks at stuff like the sink, and the toilet, and the fridge."

"Figures," muttered Rachel. "Out of the mouth of babes. We're worried about your father's side. We didn't think about your mother."

But it was when they put the lit candle in at night, that Ron took one look at the glowing eyes and mouth--and burst into tears. "Scary!" he wailed. And away went the pumpkin.

There was something Ron loved to do--watch Mom and Gramma Hanna bake. They would let him decorate cakes and cookies for holidays and birthdays, and baste the turkey for Thanksgiving. As many children do, he was allowed to lick the utensils after they made frosting.

And Ron could actually make a delicious sliced meat sandwich--kosher only--that any delicatessen would have been proud.

But Ron has a special time. A favorite time. Story time with his parents and grandparents. Poems and fairy tales. And even stories of his heritage. Sampson. David and the giant. Noah and his ark. Baby Moses afloat on the Nile. Grown-up Moses taking God's Chosen People to freedom, and commanding the sea to split in half.

It cast a magical spell. In his mother's and father's lap, staring at the book he hoped to one day understand for himself, Ron felt courageous. If God could be with these people, maybe He could be with him. Even witches and gnomes did not frighten little Ronald during story time.

And all this happened when Ron was two years old.

In Kenjijen, life was a little harder than in Middleton. Few homes had electricity or appliances. Ichiro, as a mechanic and ensign in the Imperial Navy while a young man, and Akiro, having supported himself as a handyman while attending seminary, were more than able to deal with all the small repairs that were needed in the village. Most households had at least a car, and the Kansumi men kept them running at a fraction of the cost of a repair shop in the city. They would have done all the work for free, but the villagers repaid them with garden produce and poultry.

There was still subsistence agriculture in Kenjijen. Some crops were grown for sale, and some grown for silage for the livestock. But some were also grown for the table. When Ichiro had been a young man, sixty years ago, much of the nation was still like Kenjijen.

But the Emperor's ministers in Tokyo were power-mad--at least that was Ichiro's feelings. He was loyal to the Emperor and would always be. But the warlords--Tojo and his buddies--that was another matter.

To people now, it was all history, something written in a book. But Ichiro still remembered.

The nation had embarked on a crash industrialization program. Ichiro remembered what his son had read to him, and what Harte-san, the Christian teacher said was in the American history books. They described his beloved land as having "modern hands, but feudal minds."

It made Ichiro burn with shame. But maybe that's what made the commanders so obsessed with conquest.

Russia, the huge bear of Asia had suffered disastrously in a war with Japan early in the twentieth century. Japan had acquired Korea. China, the land as old as history, with an imperial heritage as glorious as his own land, had suffered disastrously. And Japan had acquired Manchuria.

The rest of south Asia had fallen like dominoes. The Philippines. Vietnam and rest of French Indochina. British Burma and Malaysia. Indonesia. Was Australia next? The vast Indian subcontinent?

The Fascists of Europe and the militarists of Japan had been watching each other. It seemed to be their hour. They would divide the world between them.

The bulwarks of western Europe, France and England had been pummeled by Germany. And their colonies in Asia had been picked like ripe fruit by Japan. The same with eastern Europe. Poland. Hungary. Greece. Northern Africa, from Tunis to Egypt.

But, thought Ichiro wryly, pride is like a stupor. The Nazis believed themselves invincible. The Emperor's advisors, too.

But Russia and China were weak old men, infected with Communist revolution and civil wars. Stalin was embarking on his own crash industrialization program, as Germany and Japan had done. But he was trying to do it in months, instead of decades. He was using up his own people like tinder.

And they overreached themselves. Hitler wanted Moscow. Tojo wanted Hawaii.

Ichiro was born in a humble village, but he had taught his son two things: reverence for old values, and new learning. Ichiro knew his history.

Hitler made the same mistake as Napoleon. The Russian winter was more brutal than a host of armies. And, as Admiral Yamamoto, a true warrior and loyal servant of the Divine Emperor and commander of the Emperor's navy, had warned, America had not crumbled with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. They had awakened a sleeping giant.

And England had not fallen to the Luftwaffe any more than the American Navy had fallen to the Imperial Air Force. America was not a weak old man. America was not a decadent democracy, as had been said. America was young, and vigorous, a burgeoning industrial giant.

And England was a plucky little group of islands--just like Japan. And though it would take another half decade, and millions of lives, the end of the war had already been written.

Foreigners in the center of the Empire. Hiroshima and Nagasaki scorched to the ground by a new bomb. Humiliation. Dishonor. Ichiro and many of the Emperor's subjects felt like performing the sepipu, the hara-kiri, when MacArthur and The Divine One, the Son of the Goddess, signed their peace agreement.

But the Divine One, before Whose face, all loyal subjects bowed to refrain from beholding, spoke. For the first time in history, the people heard His voice, directly, over radio broadcast. In a quiet modest voice, the Emperor urged submission. And the duty of steadfast subject was plain. Heed the admonition.

But all this was in Ichiro's heart, and had nothing to do anymore with life in Kenjijen--except this.

In a way, Japan had its revenge on America and the Allies. In mere decades, they had once more become powerful enough to compete with their former enemy--this time in commerce instead of in war.

But the decadence had come to Tokyo, and had spread to the rest of the land. It was said that Tokyo had the most thriving sex trade of any city in the world--even more than Manila--or Saigon. Only in out-of-the-way places like this humble little village resting at the foot of the holy mountain still held to the old ways.

And more dishonor--his son Akiro had become a Christian--and wished to convert the village.

It was an uneasy peace between father and son in the same home. Several things kept them together. Akiro's sweet-tempered wife, Rina, who was a strong a Christian as Akiro, but won the old man's heart by her kindness. And reverence for the father was a holy law, both in Christian and Shinto teaching.

Akiro wrote to various Christian denominations and missionary organizations in Europe and America, humbly asking for help. Hardly a fraction of the people in my nation know the Lord. Even in my own village, there is only my wife and I, and a couple families. We are grateful. And we know God is able to raise up many laborers for the harvest, and call many followers to Himself. But I am a man of stammering lips and feet of clay. I feel unequal to the task. I have received my seminary degree but am yet to be ordained. Perhaps there is one who might accept the call to minister to our small congregation. I have no formal affiliations with any established ministery or denomination. I would be content to only as a deacon and serve whomever our Lord moves upon to come.

And Leo Harte, who grew up in Upperton, Colorado, came with his wife, Mariah Bess, from Middleton, Colorado.

Akiro and Rina greeted them warmly.

Akiro clasped Leo's hand. "My brother in Christ. We welcome you both in the Lord to our humble visitors.

Rina embraced Mariah Bess and kissed her on the cheek. "Welcome, sister. We pray that many will be saved your ministry here."

Leo shook his head. "No, Rina--**your **ministry. We are only helpers.

Ichiro thought little of Americans_. Like all Americans, they will be full of their own self-importance. They will equate victory in war with superiority of culture_.

But Leo bowed with respect. "Kansumi-sama."

Ichiro was impressed. _Here is one who knows how to treat an elder._

And Mariah Bess kissed him on the cheek. Her dancing brown eyes and warm sweet spirit melted Ichiro's heart.

And Ichiro noticed something that endeared Mariah Bess all the more. Like Rina, his daughter-in-law, Mariah Bess Harte was with child.

It was a joyous time in Kenjijen. The birth of a child was a propitious thing. The birth of two children was cause for merrymaking.

But during birth, the village midwife, Oba-san, or Auntie, as they called her, had a surprise for Leo and Mariah Bess Harte. "Twins!"

Daphne Mei and Richard Leo Harte were born.

Leo was floored. And the men of the village congratulated him heartily--and Ichiro nudged Leo and slyly hinted at Leo's masculine virility.

Within the week, Rina gave birth to a daughter, Yoriko.

They had a banquet at the church. All came, both Christian and Shinto.

Ichiro made very merry. He drank much saké and danced around the bonfire.

And even Akiro was willing to overlook his father's inebriation for the occasion.

No one had a television in Kenjijen. Perhaps someday. A few had radios. The only two buildings with electricity were the church and Akiro's workshop.

Both Akiro and Ichiro agreed that television was at best a mixed blessing.

So the children did not have that as they grew. What they did have was the finest storyteller in the Yamanuchi province.

Storytelling was an ancient and honored art form in Japan. And no one remembered the old stories like Ichiro Kansumi-san.

He loved to hold his granddaughter and recite the old tales. He would imitate the characters with facial expressions and voices. She stared at him with her lovely almond eyes and every so often burst into a delighted laughing squeal.

As they grew, Yoriko, Daphne, and Richard played together. And when they were old enough to sit in respectful attention, they all sat for story time with Yoriko's grandfather.

Ichiro was as limber as a man half his age. While they were small enough, he held all three on his lap. And when they grew bigger, he sat cross-legged on the ground and gathered his granddaughter Yoriko and her friends Daphne and Richard around him.

He could talk for hours. Some of the tales he told were the old European fairy tales, like the Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood.

But the favorite stories--both his and the children's--were the old tales of his native land.

Akiro was a little concerned. He wanted his daughter raised as a Christian. He did not wish to expose her to the old stories of the gods that his ancestors had worshipped.

But Leo Harte reminded him that even the popular fairy tales of America and Europe contained things like witches and wizards and magic, and that children thrived on childhood enchantment.

And so while Ichiro told his stories, three little heads leaned forward, black-haired, blonde-haired, and brown-haired. Three pairs of eyes watched, almond-dark, bright-blue, and deep-brown as the children listened absolutely spellbound as they likewise sat on their haunches.

There was the story of Momotaro, who defeated the Oni, the demons. or "Peach Child". A childless

There was the story of Yoshitsune and his companion Benkei.

Daphne thought of her hero, Seiko Ito, the janitor and handyman of the church building in Kenjijen, and how he had rescued her when she had fallen into the pond.

Richard and Yoriko thought of doing heroic exploits themselves.

And all this happened when Yoriko, Daphne, and Richard were two years old.

_**to be continued**_


End file.
